Happy Holidays from Sedona

   2019 is coming to a close. Like last year, it has been a year of ups and downs. Moments of happiness as well as sorrow.  Smiles and tears.

  

After 17 years of fun packed days, our little Cookie died in March.  She was the joy of each of my days including her last one. Anyone who has a dog, who loves their pets and has lost one, can understand how hard this has been for Mike and me. It has taken us months to get over our years of “Cookie habits”. Our home seems lonely and empty without her. She was such a spunky little girl. We are considering getting another “furry four legged child” in the near future….hope so.

   On the bright side of life, Mike and I have taken several road trips in Arizona and Utah this year. We explored Bryce Canyon, Zion, Capitol Reef, and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Amazing sights and tons of photos.  I enjoy making photo books, and now have an abundance of new material to organize and work on.

    I also made several trips to Ohio to visit my family. My Dad turned 92 this year and although he has many health issues he never tires of playing cards, talking politics, watching movies, and dining on good food. Right now he is in a rehab center working to regain strength in his legs. I am praying he will be able to walk and return home. My Mom, who turned 88, has had a difficult year. She fell and broke her wrist quite severely this Fall and is still recovering. I am thankful that I am retired ( YEA!!!) and could be there to help my sisters take care of my parents and deal with the issues involved in their care.

   This year we had a bunch of visits by friends and family. These are times we look forward to and have tons of fun during the visits. Sedona is a beautiful place with multitudes of things to see and do. Hiking and jeeping are still on the top of our list. No shortage of places to explore.

    Mike continues to improve the beauty of our little yard and we both love spending time in it. We are grateful for our health and ability to do the things we  enjoy. Once again, I am reminded that each day is a gift from the Lord for me to treasure and to love those He has surrounded me with. Dogs included!

                                         Thanking the Lord for a blessed year.

                                          Have a joy filled Christmas Season!!

A letter to my Mom....

Dearest Mom, 9-9-2019
     Today, as I am alone, is a day of remembering you.  Visiting cherished times in my life spent with you. From the beginning...to right now.  You have always been a part of me, whether we have had an opportunity to acknowledge that to each other or not. I am your daughter, from your womb, bearing the imprint of your genetics in my body, in my emotions, in my soul.  Similar in many ways, yet different too, as half of me is Dad.
    I love thinking of the times as a little girl you taught me to read, to crochet, to play games, and to study and learn things. How you comforted me when my insecurity and fears brought me to tears and sleeplessness. How you were there to help me when my heart was breaking over Dana and his craziness when I was a teenager. How you traveled to Texas so many times to visit me and help with home projects. How we had travel adventures across the country and world. Even to this last visit -how we shared some of our heartfelt feelings concerning  our spiritual lives.
  You are an amazing woman and mother. I only wish that I had spent more time getting to know your inner workings and sharing in more of your life as I was growing up and also as a grown-up. You are a bit of a  mystery to me.  As I straightened up your house and organized things I realize how music has been the number one theme in your life. From childhood to 88 years later music is at the heart of you. It fills your filing cabinets, your notebooks, your bookcases- music is all around.  I wish I had something that defined me in such an exceptional way.
  Now, as your life winds down, and things are harder to remember and focus on...I want you in this moment to know how I love you, admire you, am proud of you and desire to be closer to you.
  While organizing your desk, I ran across a little memo you had written to yourself that I found insightful-
      We cannot know, ever, what the course of our lives is to be, nor even with certainty where the next moment will take us. It is subject to change.  But to know that, after all, is to know a great deal. 
We all have a beginning and an end.  Everything in-between is unknown, subject to change as you stated.  I am thankful for having a beginning, being born. I am thankful for the life you and Dad have given me- even in the hard and difficult moments. I am thankful to the Lord for promising me an end that will be with Him for eternity.  I pray that during this time of your life you can rest in His comfort, knowing He is in control of our seemingly uncontrolled lives. 
    Words cannot really express all the tender thoughts, feelings and memories I have of you.

Just KNOW, I love you Mom. 

   

Mom and me-1995

Family unity......

Photo from 90's. Debbie, Sherri, Me, Mom, Aunt Carol.

I just returned from a three week visit to Ohio to visit my family. So much has happened since this photo was taken years ago. There is not much real unity in my family, although we believe there is a sense of love. My precious parents are feeble whether in body or mind and can no longer care for themselves.  YET they deny this and insist they can. My sister Debbie has taken the task of tending to them and it is an overwhelming, stressful, anger producing endeavor that is burning her out. We so often deal with each other with harsh, bitter words, impatience, frustration, gossip, condescension, and a spirit of divisiveness that is disgusting. I am ashamed to admit that I am sucked into this all too often. Where is our love for one another? Where is our caring for one another? Our encouraging one another? As I went thru each day observing the family dynamics, I found myself needing to "run" to 

1 Cor: 13 1-8

4 Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, 

5 does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, 

6 does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 

7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 

8 Love never fails.....

Love as the Lord Jesus defined it here is non-existent in my family.

I read today a thought provoking chapter on Unity in the book by Tony Evans  "Horizontal Jesus" . Here is a part of what he says...

It’s amazing how much power and impact people can have when they share a common goal. In fact, a small minority of like-minded people can make big changes. Lobbyists and protesters—even in small numbers—wield great power when unified. So we must ask ourselves, is the church of Jesus Christ experiencing the unity and exerting the national influence that we should, especially considering the strength of our numbers? Sadly, the answer is often no. Even though we claim the same God and worship the same Lord, we have allowed differences in race, class, culture, preferences, priorities, platforms, and more to divide us. In doing so, we have reduced our cultural impact as the horizontal representatives of Jesus.
Jesus stated clearly, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and any city or house divided against itself will not stand” (Matthew 12:25). This applies not only to the universal body of Christ but also to the local church’s impact on individual lives, families, marketplaces, neighborhoods, communities, and schools. Hell has sought to divide God’s kingdom to minimize His influence. Satan is the ultimate divider. He tried to split up heaven by getting one-third of the angels to join him in rebellion against God. He brought chaos into the first family when he separated Adam and Eve from God and pitted them against each other. Satan also instigated sibling hatred when he enticed the first son (Cain) to kill his brother (Abel). In fact, Satan introduced so much dissension into the world that God issued a worldwide flood.
Satan loves to divide. When he divides, he can conquer. This is because he knows something about God’s nature that you and I need to always remember.
********************************************************************************
Satan is the author of dis-unity. He is shown victor in my family as we relate to one another with unloving words and attitudes. I examine my heart and see so much rubbish I need to remove permanently and I ask the Lord for His divine help. I ask Him to reveal His love to my family members so they too can lean on His strength. We have a desperate need for unity.

One more time.....

Cookie

  It has been almost nine weeks since Cookie died. My heart still aches and when I think of her or look at her photos I cry. But not as much. Time does lessen the grief, just as it did with Biskit. I find myself still waiting for her bark to come into the house, making her little whining sounds to get my attention and try to figure out what she wants, looking at me for some more treats, wanting up on the footstool in the TV room, slowly thumping down the stairs one by one each morning to find me, hopping around when she had a little burst of old age energy. Habits I miss. Although she was old, she still had a lot of spunk and life in her. Although I knew her last days were approaching I was not ready to say goodbye. She was not ready to die.

   Sometimes I think that I almost want to hurt, to cry, to miss, to mourn. Maybe to remind myself of my love for her. Maybe because I feel guilty if I don't grieve? I am not sure. 

  I just want another chance to groom her, to hug her, to give her the towel rub-a-dub when she comes in wet from outside, to give her another greenie, to stick my nose in her fur and kiss her, to speak sweet nothings into her little ears... I want one more time. It would always be that way...just one more. Never enough.

   I am ready for that to happen with my parents. My dad almost 92 and my mom 88. Their life is winding down and I know, as I did with Cookie, that death is around the corner. I walk with that knowledge, yet still hoping for another visit, another card game, another puzzle to make, another conversation to be had, another photo to take. I leave tomorrow for a three week visit with them. It may be my last. 

    I know the Lord has all of our times appointed. He is in charge of life and death. Heaven and Hell.

I can't change anything.... but being a creature of earth and time, I still want to hold on to those I love.

Just one more time.....

   

Do I shout for joy?

Let them shout for joy and be glad, who favor my righteous cause; and let them say continually, “Let the Lord be magnified, who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.” Psalm 35:27
   In our culture, many self-absorbed people, (often myself) focus their energies on doing the newest activity that promises the most pleasure, getting the latest technology to make life easier and fun,  going shopping for the latest styles in clothes and jewelry, traveling the world, and spending hours on favorite hobbies.  Those things don’t satisfy for long.  God made us with hearts that long for a transcendent purpose.  We want to live for something much bigger than ourselves.
  Causes come in every stripe and color.  Some people get energized for a political candidate who promises to change a city, state, or nation.  Others devote themselves to preserving the planet or helping the homeless.  In war, soldiers fight and die for the freedom of those back home. Many of us have the sole purpose of  pursuing self-satisfaction. We sit on the "throne" and feel we are the center of the universe.
   Although some causes are noble, most have only temporary results.  Taking the message of Christ’s love not only to the ends of the earth but also to  our family members, friends, and coworkers is truly our most important task. The purpose for every believer is to know Christ and to honor Him in everything we do.  He should sit on the throne of our life. As we turn our attention to Him, forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead...eternity with God, we discover He is the true  cause that makes us shout for joy!

Seeing clearly

The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. Psalm 19:8

   It’s the strangest thing:  Millions of Christians say they really want to be wise in their decisions.  They want to follow God in their personal lives, jobs, and families and to experience God’s blessings, but they often fail to do the one thing God promises will give them that wisdom:  soak up the truths of His Word.
   People who devour God’s truth (and that’s the image we get from Jeremiah 15:16) gradually develop a new set of eyes, one that sees beyond the tangible to the eternal.  But that doesn’t mean they’re clairvoyant.  They can’t see into the future or know exactly what God is doing all the time.  Rather, they gain insight about the ways and the will of God.  They aren’t shocked when roadblocks occur, because they’ve learned that God often uses detours to redirect them.  They don’t pout when God doesn’t answer their prayer, because they know God sometimes has a different agenda that is much bigger than theirs.  And they aren’t caught off guard when people disappoint them because they have more insight about the selfishness that’s in their hearts too.
   Learning to see through the lens of Scripture takes time and effort, but most of us gladly expend time and effort on a host of other activities that promise far less.  When I  reflect on how much time I spend reading the paper, watching TV, working on hobbies, shopping, and talking on the phone compared to how much time a spend with the Lord I am shamed. If I love Him, why don't I hunger to know Him more?  Why not more time spent in His word soaking up His truth?
  My prayer this day is to grow in seeking Him. He is here waiting for me.

Saying goodbye....

Let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; let those also who love Your name be joyful in You. Psalm 5:11

   Sometimes, the stresses and struggles and heartbreaks of life take their toll on our emotions and our outlook.  We never intend for it to happen, but suddenly our sense of joy is washed away in a sea of demands, conflicts, tears and sorrow.
    That has been my experience these last days. Losing Cookie has been hard on me. Like jumping off a cliff and landing on rocks in the darkest of night.
    At 17 years old I knew her time to die was upon her, upon me. Everyday I would wake up and check to see if she was breathing as she slept in her little doggie bed beside me. As I would see her chest moving slowly I thanked the Lord for another day with her. She had become my shadow especially as she aged and lost her hearing and vision. If I even got up from my desk to walk to the door, she would be standing at attention discerning where/what I was going to do.  We were a "duet" being played all her waking hours. In the kitchen I danced around her food bowl while I cooked and she ate...one piece at a time.  When I got up in the wee hours of the morning not being able to sleep within minutes I would hear her body slowly thumping down the stairs one step at a time until she found me in my reading chair. She would look to me for acknowledgement and a dog treat and then settle down to slumber once more. My little soul mate.
     And though I knew her time was coming and thought I was prepared, I was dead wrong. I feel as if a vital part of my soul is gone leaving an emptiness behind, a huge void filled with longing. I want to see her once more, smell her little warm body, feel her life, massage her stiff joints, call her my crazy names, take her out to potty, trim her nails, bathe her, groom her.....on and on. Just once more.....
    Saying goodbye is not in my vocabulary right now and it needs to be. Because it is a reality. She is gone and I am here.
     I am thankful that the Lord knows all of this. He knows my heart pain, my head pain, my tears, my sorrow. I need to lean on Him to comfort me as only He is able. He is ever with me, just as my memories of my Cookie are hidden in my inner being. Thanking the Lord always for my little Monster.

Cookie Monster

   

My Cookie Monster dies.....

Yesterday, Sunday March 3rd, around 3 pm, after lunch, Cookie started breathing really hard. We thought she had tired herself out coming up the staircase as she often does. She is 17+.  As the day wore on, her breathing became more labored and rapid. She couldn't get comfortable because she was suffocating. As the day wore into evening, we decided that her issue was serious and took her to Flagstaff's Emergency Vet. hospital. They put her in an oxygen cage immediately, did some x rays, blood work etc. She had developed pneumonia and her lungs had fluid build up. She was struggling for air. They were wonderful in treating her. Giving her antibiotics, oxygen, breathing treatments.......but it was her time to go. She lived a life of love, and fun, and love, and love.

Sight....

He then answered, “Whether He is a sinner, I do not know; one thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.”  John 9:25

Vision...amazing. I am recovering from cataract surgery and am amazed at how much clearer and colorful  things appear. 

   During the process of considering surgery, being anxious beforehand of the procedure, and now healing and having new vision, I have come to ponder several things.

  The first item is how often patients (myself included) take our doctors for granted. We expect  them to find out quickly what is wrong with us and "fix" it.  We are disappointed, even disgruntled, when our doctors can't figure it out, or the fix takes too long or is not perfect. We have forgotten who our doctor is, the years of study, exams, sacrifice, money and practice it took to make him the person we trust our lives with. Our sight with.

   The second is how physicians, too, may take patients for granted. After practicing medicine for many years, where it seems second nature, they may get tired of complaining patients, long hours, administrative issues, staffing problems and all the other things involved with work life. They may have forgotten how they toiled to get where they are and how very significant their gift of healing is.

    The third is how I recognize, appreciate and am grateful for my surgeon's special skill, the lengthy path it took to achieve it, and giving me, personally, new sight.

      Lastly, and most importantly, I am thankful to the Lord. He not only gave the doctor those sight saving skills and the desire to use them, but He gave me new spiritual eyes when He saved me twenty-five years ago.  Back then with no cataracts, I could see but was totally blind to Him. Not only blind, but spiritually dead, destined for hell. But, at a moment in time, when I least expected it, and was not really searching for Him, He saved such a wretch as me and gave me new sight.  20/20 spiritual vision. For eternity. 

   

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 

 For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 

 Or WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 

 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36

Remedy for fear...resting in the Lord

Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.Proverbs 3:5 

  Today I go for cataract surgery.  This is supposed to be an easy eight minute procedure that will allow me to see clearly again, instead of looking through the "wax" paper vision that I have been struggling with. Why am I anxious, fearful, fretting, worried that I will be blind?  Conjuring up all sorts of morbid scenarios of the doctor's hand slipping as he cuts my cornea, that I will move unexpectedly and jar his hand, that I will be allergic to the medication and have a bad reaction. On and on my mind reels with fear. I know the remedy, so why don't I grab hold of Him who is the cure for all fear and anxiety? I need to rest in Him, the author and perfecter of my faith, who holds all things together by the power of His word, who loves me and will never let me go, who promises eternal life with Him where there is no more pain, no tears, no sorrow. 

   Jesus, the lover of my soul, my savior, Almighty Holy God. He who has granted everything I need pertaining to life and Godliness. He who saved such a wretch like me. 

   This life is so temporary and then eternity in the presence of Him forever. Why does fear grip me? 

So, I pray that the Lord, today would grant me His peace that is there for my taking. No matter what the results of my eye surgery, one day I will see Him clearly just as He has always seen me. Praise Him. Amen. 

Joy at the finish line.

Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing 
that the testing of your faith produces patience.  James 1:2-3

   When I ponder James’s comment concerning suffering, it is hard to accept. God uses our suffering and hardship to develop perseverance and build our faith?  And this is to bring joy? How?
   To see these trials produce results in our lives, we need to undergo a radical reorientation.  Cultural critic Francis Schaeffer observed that most of us supremely value “personal peace and affluence.”  Anything that gets in the way of those values is, to say the least, unwelcome. That is me!  But in the Kingdom of God, those things aren’t all that valuable, and in fact, they can get in the way of what God truly values.  He treasures our faith in Him through thick and thin, but He knows faith is built most effectively in times of difficulty.  For that reason, God, our loving and attentive Father, allows or orchestrates problems in our lives so that we learn to trust Him.
    I need to fix my eyes on Jesus the author and perfecter of my faith, who for the joy set before Him, endured the cross. Scorning its shame......(Heb 12)
    Every obstacle, every annoyance, and every genuine heartache in our lives is part of God’s curriculum to produce persistent, tenacious, rich, deep trust in Him.  Patience isn’t killing time until we experience more personal peace and affluence.  It’s riveting our affections on God and His purposes every moment of every day.
  I pray for the ability to lean on Him....at all times...and find joy in Him at the finish line.

Contemplation...All I have is Christ.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 6:23

Today I have a heavy heart. So many sad things in the world, in life, everywhere. My sister's loss of her husband, my aging parents so feeble, friends battling cancer, unsaved loved ones, my own sinful ways and aging process. Losing hair, hearing, eye sight, aching muscles, joint pain, critical nature. The list is long. I weep with tears that could fill buckets if I let them. But, the Lord interrupts and reminds me that I have Him, who knows all things, is in control of all things, and sees the Big picture of all things because He is the maker of all things. I am a comforted in this knowledge even as my sorrow lingers. The lyrics of a favorite song come to mind and I contemplate them....

All I have is Christ- Jordan Kauflin

 I once was lost in darkest night

Yet thought I knew the way

The sin that promised joy and life

Had led me to the grave

I had no hope that You would own

A rebel to Your will

And if You had not loved me first

I would refuse You still

But as I ran my hell-bound race

Indifferent to the cost

You looked upon my helpless state

And led me to the cross

And I beheld God’s love displayed

You suffered in my place

You bore the wrath reserved for me

Now all I know is grace

CHORUS

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ

Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone

And live so all might see

The strength to follow Your commands

Could never come from me

O Father, use my ransomed life

In any way You choose

And let my song forever be

My only boast is You

Separate lives?

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Colossians 3:17

Many Christians attempt to compartmentalize their lives into sacred and secular parts.  We are aware of God for an hour on Sunday mornings and perhaps for a few minutes each day when we read the Bible and pray, but we hardly think of Him the rest of the time. Pitiful. One of the most life-transforming concepts is the realization and acknowledgement that we are in God’s presence all day, every day, every MOMENT.  We can relate to Him, serve Him, and depend on Him—at work, at play, at home, in the car, at the store, in the bedroom and in the boardroom. Even if we fail to notice Him, He knows all about us. Nothing is hidden from His sight. All of our sin, wrong thinking, selfish ways, worldly habits, critical thoughts, our idols... We can get away with nothing. Before a word is on our tongue He knows it completely.
  Question to myself. Why don't I live in this reality?

Overcoming the world....

Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? I John 5:3-5

  In the New Testament, the word world is used in two different ways.  Sometimes it describes the earth and all its people (“Behold!  The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29), and sometimes it refers to sinful, self-absorbed patterns of life.  When John says that believers “overcome the world, he has the second meaning in mind.

   We live in a culture that promises far more than it can deliver.  Each and every day, we are barraged by promises of beauty, riches, success, fame, and pleasure.  They claim to be able to fill our hearts and give us ultimate happiness, and quite often, we believe their lies.  If these promises came to us dressed up as demons in little red suits, we’d recognize them at once and refuse to trust them, but because their lies appear, like Satan himself, as sources of light, we are easily duped.

  Why do we need to overcome the world?  Because it can overwhelm us and distract us from our relationship with God.  These lies steal our attention, erode our faith in God, corrupt our motives, and strain our relationships.  Every part of our lives is affected, if not ruined, if we believe the false promises.

  Overcoming the world doesn’t happen by magic because we say a certain thing or by osmosis because we attend church.  Wars are won by carefully planning, marshalling resources, being courageous in action, and especially by following the directions of the commander.  In our fight with the world, we overcome when we stay close to Jesus, recognize and reject the lies we hear, and walk in obedience to Him.  The things we must overcome aren't always bad things. Hobbies, family, serving, studying. The Lord gives us a life on this earth to enjoy and a brain to pursue things, but when these things take control of our life, our time..they have become IDOLS. We place them before God and therefore are "worldly". Such an easy trap to fall into. Thinking I am safe when really I have been blindsided by Satan. 

Frustration...Focus...

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

  Somedays, too often, I struggle with frustration which often leads to anger which in turn is sin. I go to Bible study and read passages about the servanthood of Christ, yet walk away wondering how to apply this to my life. Right now. My bible class is filled with sweet Christian women. We all are good on the outside according to the world's perspective. Me included. We pray, we attend church, we aren't vulgar and wretched, we are friendly and helpful in a general way to each other. But, is that really servanthood? Just being nice?  I bring up this question for discussion during the class and am met with blank stares. Then, someone states...."Well Kathie you serve with the beautiful handmade cards you send to others"..... That is not what I am looking for. Making my beautiful cards is my hobby that I enjoy and yes,  I do share with others. But is that what Jesus requires of us...just offering up something that we already love to do? I don't know. I want another answer. I want us as a group of women to discuss the real needs of others in our church family and as sisters in Christ have a plan of action for serving them. 

   I am frustrated and need direction, peace, wisdom. In the end, I realize this must come from the Lord. I can't change anyone, I can't force others to look at the questions I have in the same way I am looking at them. I am a sinner thru and thru. I am so very thankful that the Lord saved me, continues to transform me, brings questions about my sin into my mind, convicts me of my sins, and gives me direction. How would Jesus guide me to serve others? That is my question, my focus for this time. 

Contentment

 I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:  I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound.  Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4:11-12

   Many of us have some mixed-up ideas about contentment.  We think that if we can just have this good thing, travel to this place, have this job, be married to this person, have a good size saving account that our life will be better.  If we can avoid certain undesirable things, then  we’ll be really happy.  If we thought about it more than a nanosecond, though, we’d realize that we know plenty of people who have this or who have successfully avoided that but still aren’t any happier than we are.  Just look at the examples of many rich and famous movie stars, sports players, political leaders.  There must be something more to contentment.....

   Somewhere along the way, Paul learned the secret of contentment.  He realized that possessions, fame, beauty, and other earthly things can be pleasant for a while, but they can never produce genuine contentment.  That comes from the inside.  We experience true contentment when external things lose their grip on our hearts and don’t matter much anymore.  Some of us get bent out of shape when we realize our favorite shirt is still at the cleaners or when we can’t find the perfect pair of shoes or when things just don't go the way we expect or want them to.  Paul’s well of contentment was so deep that he could enjoy life with or without the most basic needs.  He was content being full or going hungry, having many possessions or little to speak of, living a life 

life of ease or suffering at the hands of evil men.  He did suffer, alot.

  A poster in a college professor’s office reads, “Happiness isn’t having what you want; it’s wanting what you have.”  Jealousy, envy, and greed suck the life—and any sense of contentment—out of us.  Focus on the Lord, find joy in Him who is the author of life, joy, holiness, and love. True satisfaction can only be found in Him.

Mistaken Identity

 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.  “But beware of men, for they will hand you over to the courts and scourge you in their synagogues;  and you will even be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. Matt 10:16-18

   Anyone with the slightest familiarity with history knows how frequently and chillingly these prophecies have been fulfilled. The fact that many of us in the West have for so long been largely exempt from the worst features of such persecution has let us lower our guard—even Christians may think that a hassle-free life is something that society owes us. But as the Judeo-Christian heritage of the West weakens, we may one day be caught up in realities that missions specialists know but that the rest of us sometimes ignore: the last century and a half have seen more converts, and more martyrs, than the first eighteen centuries combined.

Courageous Conversations...

They said to me, “The survivors who are left from the captivity in the province are there in great distress and reproach.  The wall of Jerusalem is also broken down, and its gates are burned with fire.”  So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven. Nehemiah 1:3-4

  Most of us spend our lives trying to project an image of beauty and competence.  Certainly, we want others to think highly of us, but one of the things I respect most are people who exhibit ruthless honesty about themselves and their situations. They are rare. I don't know if I am one of them. Nehemiah was however. 
  Nehemiah had a great job.  He was working closely with the king and he lived a life of luxury.  His heart, though, beat in unison with God’s heart.  He cared about the things God cares about and when he heard that the people in Jerusalem were suffering his heart broke.  He didn’t minimize the problem and he didn’t fly into a panic of mindless activity.  Instead, he let the brutal truth sink in, and he responded appropriately:  He sat down and wept.
  Nehemiah had a courageous conversation with the messenger and then he had a courageous conversation with God.  Only courageous people are known for their honesty.  It’s a lot easier to look the other way when we see needs in our lives or in the lives of people around us.  We can give the excuse that we’ve tried as hard as we can or that we don’t have time to help a person in need.  But excuses don’t cut it.  Like Nehemiah, we need to let the God's truth sink into our hearts so we can respond with genuine compassion. The Lord sacrificed His perfect Son that we might live and bring Him glory. How shall I live my life in light of this?

Who is God?

 “To whom would you liken Me And make Me equal and compare Me, That we would be alike?" Isaiah 46:5

If our thinking about God is not correct then every other doctrine we apply our minds to will also be incorrect. This is the most important doctrine yet people seem to think they are free to make up their minds as to what God is like. So some who call themselves Christians say, ‘My god would never send anyone to hell.’ Such a statement is only possible if you ignore all that the Bible has to say and just impose your own thoughts on the subject. This attitude is responsible for what is possibly the greatest sin a person can commit—to reduce God to terms that are acceptable to us (Psalm 50:21). This is why in the Old Testament one of the sins that grieved God the most was idolatry. This is to substitute man-made objects and ideas in the place of the one true God (Jeremiah 10:3–5). It is a slander on the character of God and all worship that flows from it is worthless

Sincerity is not sufficient.

 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. Proverbs 14:12

  “God doesn’t care what you believe, as long as you’re sincere,” say many of our culture today.  “All religions lead ultimately to the same reality. It doesn’t matter which road you take to get there, as long as you follow your chosen road faithfully. Don’t be critical of the alternative roads other people choose.”

   To those who accept the Bible as God’s Word, this is crazy. What does the Bible say about following your chosen road faithfully? “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death” (Prov 14:12). Jesus said, “The gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it” (Matt. 7:13). 

   It is Satan who doesn’t care what we believe—or how sincerely we believe it—as long as what we believe is error. To portray God as tolerant of all forms of worship is to deny the God of Scripture. After all, this was His first commandment: “I am the Lord your God.… You shall have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:2–3).

  If we believe the Bible, we cannot concede that other religions might be true as well. If we believe that Christ is Lord of all, and if we truly love Him, we cannot go along agreeing with the doctrines of those who deny Him (1 Cor. 16:22). We must stand firm against the schemes of the devil by being firmly immersed and knowledgeable in God's Word, His Doctrines, and His Truth. 

  The content of our faith is crucial. Sincerity is not sufficient. We can be sincerely wrong.

God's word....for War or Peace?

  Like many people, I use Scripture to defend my views. But so does Satan. In Matthew 4, the devil says: “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you’ ”. In turn, Jesus responds with Scripture, “Again, it is written, ‘You are not to put the Lord your God to the test’ ”
   While the devil used Scripture for his own purposes, Jesus used them for God’s. This teaches us that Scripture alone isn’t enough: it must be contextualized and balanced with other Scripture.
This story raises the question, “Will we use Scripture to defend our own positions, or use it to defend God’s?” It’s easy to quote Scripture only to defend our personal theological position. Sometimes we are too focused on being “right” and not necessarily on helping other believers. However, while we might believe that being “right” will ultimately help them, it’s possible that we’re inhibiting the gospel message instead. We might even be the one driving them away.
  When we use Scripture for our own gains or battles, we are acting like Christ’s tempter—not Christ. We might think that we are defending the gospel, but if it’s not about Christ’s virgin birth, suffering, death, resurrection, or continued presence in our lives, it’s really not about the fundamental truths. It’s about our battle—about what we want. Instead, let’s act more like Christ. Let’s use Scripture in the proper context, balancing it with other Scripture.

No whining.....

“Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. Revelation 22:12

We are to be rewarded, not only for work done, but for burdens borne; and I am not sure but that the brightest rewards will be for those who have borne burdens without murmuring. On that day He will take the lily, that has been growing so long among thorns, and lift it up to be the glory and wonder of all the universe; and the fragrance of that lily will draw forth ineffable praises from all the hosts of Heaven. (-Andrew Bonar)  

Choices.

Therefore will we also serve the Lord; for He is our God. – Joshua 24:18

   To every person there comes that time when we must use our greatest power—freedom of choice.  There are set before us the good and the bad, the high and the low, the great and the small, the false and the true, the big and the little.  Out of all this we must choose.
   It is a pity that so much of our human power is consumed in making choices between those things that are material and temporal. Fading away.  So often we are content to choose only between the bad and the low, the small and the false.  It would be so much better to confine our choices to that which is good and high and the great and true and big.  It would be so much better for man to choose God.
But....we have to know Him. His word, His truth, His ways. That takes time, commitment, perseverance, ordering priorities.
   There is something final, satisfying and eternal in choosing God.  When we choose him it affects all minor decisions.  I pray I will sets my eyes more and more on Him and that the things of this earth, this life, will grow dim as I see His surpassing glory!